Bourbon Barrel Imperial Brown Ale
Bison Brewing

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Bison Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
American Brown Ale
ABV:
7%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
2.85 | pDev: 8.42%
Reviews:
3
Ratings:
4
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 12, 2017
Added:
Mar 17, 2011
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by chumba526:
Photo of chumba526
Reviewed by chumba526 from Oregon

3.08/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appears dark brown/ almost black with a small light brown head.

It smells slightly sour, slightly sweet and nutty. I also get a slightly cherry like and vanilla smell to the beer.

It tastes quite sour. I get a nice bourbon oaky flavor as well. I can get a bit of nutty malt but the malt flavor is overpowered by the sour bourbon flavor of the beer. It tastes pretty good but it is one dimensional.

The beer has a crisp mouthfeel with a medium low carbonation.

Overall I like this beer but it does not have much to it. The sour flavor pretty much overpowers all the other flavors of the beer.
Mar 17, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.05/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Apparently you can only improve a compromised base beer so much. Has the appearance of a brown ale, its you know, brown, small beige head 1/4". Aroma did impart some bourbon, and earthen brown malt. Sometimes brown ales are good at showcasing the bourbon, there isn't roast competing with it the way it does in stouts.

Problem here is the base beer just doesn't have much going for it to sustain these bold flavor incursions on its weak sea legs. Its a mild brown ale, far from robust, and it just results in a convoluted batch of flavors that don't gel together. A bitter twang on the back end, a lack of malt profile results in a weird combination of thin, almost watery beer up against a barrel with wood and booze taking up too much of the flavor.
Jan 12, 2017
 
Rated: 2.5 by t0rin0 from California

Aug 23, 2012
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

2.76/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
On-tap at Oakquinox

Dark brown in color with an off-white head. Not a good nose. Soapy as hell, a bit of wax, and some water. There is mild bourbon aroma and a bit of oak. Not much in the way of brown ale, though. The flavor isn’t much different. Watery and bland with a bit of soap, bread, and bourbon barrel. Not awful/offensive, but not enjoyable either.
Jul 18, 2012
Bourbon Barrel Imperial Brown Ale from Bison Brewing
Beer rating: 2.85 out of 5 with 4 ratings